2009 Volkswagen Jetta Tdi Review a Diesel as Cool as Vin
First, the headline: 40 MPG! Now, the background:
Americans have been slow to catch on to the diesel movement. We gave it a chance in the late 1980s (when diesel was cheaper than gasoline), and were rewarded with loud, stinky, slow cars.
European automakers are pushing diesel cars again (in a marketing sense, not literally), but the engines aren't like you remember. They burn cleaner than ever, you gotta really sniff hard to smell anything odd, and there's really no glow-plug wait.
Case in point: Volkswagen Jetta TDI, for Turbo Diesel Injection. It is a peppy, authentic European (I hate it when people say "European" to describe off-continent offerings) sedan, making 140 horsepower. Diesels usually excel more in the torque department, and the TDI makes 236 pound-feet. There's more power to be had out there, but the Jetta can get out of its own way, with rather exciting power delivery (see: torque).
Which brings us to the cool part. Volkswagen kicked up the TDI Cup in 2008. They use younger, up-and-coming drivers (although they have two named Juan Pablo-that's legit) on a 10-race circuit, all racing similarly-equipped, slightly-modified from stock cars.
So if you're young and up-and-coming, you can use your TDI to train for the races. If you're older, or just down-and-going, you can enjoy the rub-off factor of knowing you're driving a real race car.
Lest you get too eager and into sideways trouble, all VWs have Electronic Stability Control, or ESP. It senses if the car is sliding, and can brake individual wheels and change the throttle to help the car go where it thinks you want it to go. NHTSA studies found that cars with such systems had a 30% reduction in single vehicle fatal crashes. SUVs more than doubled that reduction, but it's a well-known fact that SUV drivers are spazzes and thereby benefit more from the electronic help.
Inside, there's good detail, and the VW-logo headlight bulbs should impress dates, and the lucky guy who gets to sell you their replacements.
OK, now the incredible part: This sporty sedan gets 40 miles to the gallon on the highway. The Smart For Two gets 41, with an engine half the size of the Jetta's. The Smart pulls way ahead in city driving, 29 to 33, but I still think 40 highway is pretty impressive. You ought to factor in that diesel fuel costs more these days, but it's good to drive a super-efficient, European race car to work.
